Item 14 - Parks, Facilities, Trails and Open Space Master Plan

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ER FROM THE DIRECTOR DEAR SANTA ANA COMMUNITY, Today is a historic and exciting time for Santa Ana, as this is the very first Parks Master Plan that will guide our investment in parks, facilities, trails, and open space over the next ten years! They say you can tell the health of a community by the condition of its parks. For decades, our parks have needed a significant investment to keep them safe, inclusive, enjoyable, and comfortable for our children, families and residents. Now is the time to provide a park system that will support and promote healthy lifestyles, improve inequities in green space, and support community livability, park safety, trail connectivity, and our quality of life. The Master Plan process started in 2020. Despite the constraints of working during the pandemic and coordinating with Open Space Element of the General Plan, the process was extremely thorough. We received input from the public through multiple methods, including virtual and in -person meetings, online surveys, and the creation of a diverse Parks Advisory Group that represented various City Boards and Commissions, a num- ber of community -based organizations, demographic groups, age groups, activities and geographic areas within the city. Now that we are at the starting line of these changes, what can the community expect to see in the upcoming years? Fortunately the City has received a once -in -a -lifetime influx of Federal and State funds, Cannabis Public Benefit funds, and Grant awards that we can invest in improvements to our park system immediately. The community can ex- pect to see development of two new parks (Raiff & Myrtle and Standard & McFadden), the City's first dog park at Centennial Park, new splash pads at six park sites, the City's first universally -accessible playground at Thornton Park, and Amazon's Edge -Giant Riv- er Otter Habitat and Primate Trails at the Santa Ana Zoo. In addition, there are several park and trail renovation projects happening, such as new park restrooms, synthetic turf installation, electronic marquees, lake renovation, and trail and park security lighting. Much gratitude is due to the thousands of residents who gave their input. Congratula- tions to the dozens of staff members who worked hard over the past few years to see the Parks Master Plan completed. This is a time to celebrate and enjoy the moment, because soon the heavy lifting begins. Looking forward, we will work together to identify additional funds, finalize construction documents, and break ground on new projects that will be celebrated through ribbon cutting ceremonies! Together we will create amazing new amenities for our residents to enjoy. Lisa Rudloff Executive Director of Parks, Recreation and Community Services